Cattle Herd Rebuilding: Are We There Yet?
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
They’re called “key point indicators,” KPIs, in the business world. A quantifiable measure of performance. And, when it comes to the U.S. cattle industry, one important KPI is the retention of heifers as replacement cattle. As the kids in the back seat might say, are we there yet?
Here’s the latest from the people with the numbers – CattleFax. A global leader in beef industry research and analysis. Ranch Blach is their CEO
“We’re seeing the number of heifers that are being placed on feed slow down. That’s definitely, definitely showing up. I would say we’re right at our in-between stage. We’re no longer liquidating heifers by placing them on feed, but we’re not yet in expansion phase. I’d say we’re at a stability phase with the heifer numbers. I think that’ll pick up pace as the year moves on.”
Cow slaughter, Blach says, has declined substantially…
“We’re off about 300,000 head on cow slaughter for the year. We think that number will continue to decline. With it declining the way it has, I think January 1, 2025 will be the low in the nation’s beef cow herd.”
I’m saying it again for those in the back. It’s the prediction of CattleFax that January 1, 2025 will be the low in the nation’s beef cow herd.
Again that was Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO.
